Civic Theatre
267 Queen Street,
Auckland
1010
267 Queen Street,
Auckland
1010
7 people
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Beautiful, Beautiful theatre. Lots of atmosphere as a theatre for stage shows, and film presentations are brilliant. I caught up with a couple of film presentations during the last Film Festival, and I just could not get over the size of the screen or the fantastic sound. Knocks all the other cinemas in Auckland into a cocked hat. Can’t wait for the next film festival. Hope its going to be this or next year. Good on you Auckland Council. You got it right.
Very early photo of the Civic:
http://www.fclarchives.co.nz/item.php?id=29297
Here is a 1961 Newspaper advert for the Civic detailing it as the “Showplace of New Zealand” screening in Cinemascope – Butterfield 8
http://www.fungusfilms.co.nz/interior/retro.html
More info here from projectionist at Civic detailing projection equipment and recent screenings:
View link
A 2002 view of the exterior:
View link
Whilst the atmospheric style of the Civic is in the style of a John Eberson theatre, his firm had no involvement in the Civic. The Ausralian architects had contacts with Eberson’s firm and he was initially on the credits for Sydney’s Capitol Theatre. There is no doubt about the influential style of the Civic and it is called an Eberson style theatre -but no Eberson involvement occured.
The theatre’s website, listed above in the introduction, cites one C. Bohringer (of the firm Bohringer, Taylor and Johnson) as the Civic’s architect. There is no mention of John Eberson’s involvement at all. The description states “Ebersonian” implying the design in Eberson’s style but supporting that it may be the work of another. Perhaps there should be a correction here.
According to the internet movie data base site (imdb.com), the interior of the Civic stands in for the interior of the fictional Alhambra Theater in Times Square where the great ape is put on display in Peter Jackson’s remake of “King Kong.” I saw this movie last night and the Civic’s gorgeous interior is on good display itself throughout the sequence – that is, until Kong breaks free of his chains and starts smashing up the place.
When this film comes out on DVD, Times Square enthusiasts will wear out the “pause” and “advance frame” buttons on their remotes as they try and freeze frames and take in the splendid detail in which Jackson has digitally recreated the Square circa 1933. If I didn’t know any better, I might have thought the crew were somehow transported back in time to film on location!
Anyway… I trust the good people of Auckland are grateful to have a showplace as magnificent as the Civic still in theatrical and cinematic operation. Not a single atmospheric theater remains in use (other than a few conversions to houses of worship) on the isle of Manhattan – or in the rest of the boroughs of NYC for that matter. Shame on us.
The Civic is equipped with state of the art projection and sound and has an exra large screen. It is home to the annual Internationl Film Festival as well as the occaisonal film screening, but is not part of ‘chain’ of exhibition distribution. The original ‘flamingo’ curtain is only used for film screenings.
I caught a film at this nice theatre during Auckland’s International Film Festival in July of 1996 when I was touring Australia and New Zealand. (I’m from New England.) The movie was “Carmen Miranda: Bananas is My Business.”
The Civic in Auckland DOES show movies, though not every week. This theatre is a stunner and is the venue for the annual Movie Festival in Auckland, New Zealand. The atmosphere inside, with twinkling stars that replicate those of the Southern Sky creates a buzz in the audience before the movie – this place is one of the most loved landmarks in Auckland New Zealand. Watch, just 90 seconds before the curtain opens, for a shooting star that whisks through the left hand side of the sky. Most people miss it – but it always creates an extra little ooh-ahh of excitement that makes movie going here a complete treat. Seating 2300 and splendidly renovated, this is one of the great cinemas of the world.
The Civic Theatre is very beautiful
this theatre has been fully restored and is now a fully versatile Venue capable of puting on multiple events simultaniously and has the state of the art technology installed in the entire venue . go to www.the-edge.co.nz follow the links and yo ucan see the virtual tour of the venue . even better come to New Zealand and see it for yourself in real life . contact THE EDGE for futher details . Steve Crowcroft Production Manager THE EDGE
The Civic has one of the largest screens in Auckland and a ‘state of the art’ sound system. The art deco ‘flamingo’ curtain is only used for films. It is home to the annual Internation Film festival but is not exclusively a cinema.
Eric kearney
The Civic Theatre, Auckland, does not show movies any more